By The Santa Ana winds came through Tuesday. Fire warnings. Caleb had baseball practice Tuesday and Thursday. I drove.
Caleb, 8, wants to be a firefighter still. Has not deviated. Hazel, 5, opinions about everything. Has Donna's directness without the diplomacy.
A pot of soup Tuesday. Chicken and rice, the basic. Comfort food.
Mom called Sunday. We talked while she was putting up tomatoes from the garden. She is sixty-something and gardening like she is forty. Megan called from D.C.. We talked twenty minutes. The relationship is better now than it was.
The week held. The casserole held. The kids ate.
I went for a walk Sunday morning before the kids got up. Half an hour. The fog was burning off. I needed it. Some weeks I get the walk in. Some weeks I don't. The week tells me which.
The kitchen counter has a chip in it from someone before us. Some military housing thing. I have stopped asking what. The chip is fine. The whole kitchen is provisional. We are renting from Uncle Sam.
Wednesday morning meal prep — Sunday afternoon, hours of containers. The freezer is full. The future-me thanks present-me. Donna taught me this routine. Donna's freezer was always full. Donna saved her sanity with quart bags labeled in Sharpie.
The PCS rumors are starting again. The official orders will come in a few months. We could move. We could stay. The waiting is the worst part. Three years here and I have learned to not put down deep roots in any military town. Nineteen-year-old me would not have believed how good I have gotten at packing.
Reading another military memoir at night. They make Ryan tense. They steady me. We negotiate. He doesn't ask what I'm reading. I don't tell him. The arrangement works.
The kids' soccer game was Saturday morning. The other parents brought oranges and Capri Suns. I brought a thermos of coffee for myself and a folding chair I bought at Target three years ago that has been to four duty stations now. The chair is a more loyal companion than some of my friends.
I sat at the kitchen table Tuesday night writing in the journal. Volume 11 now. The handwriting has not gotten neater. The journals are a record of the life I am living, in the moment, in tiny script that I will look back on someday and not be able to read. That is okay. The writing was the thing.
I went to the commissary Saturday morning. Got the grocery haul under sixty bucks for the week, which is a small victory. The cashier knows me. We talked about her grandkids while she scanned the chicken thighs and the family-size box of pasta. Small-town energy on a Marine base in California.
Caleb watched the firefighters at a school visit Wednesday and came home buzzing. He is going to be one. I have known this since he was four. Some kids tell you who they are early.
Base housing is base housing. Beige walls, beige carpet, beige expectations. The dryer venting is in a stupid place. The kitchen has no dishwasher. We make it work.
Ryan went to his counselor Wednesday. He always comes home calmer. I am calm too, just from him being calm. The man Torres was killed with — Ryan calls his wife twice a year on Torres's birthday and the anniversary. The military widows are their own community.
The Friday before-school morning was chaos. Three kids, two backpacks, one missing shoe. We all made it to the bus. I drank cold coffee at nine AM because that's when I sat down. Standard.
The chicken and rice soup fed the family on Tuesday, and that was the practical thing — but after the kids were down and the journal was open and the house finally went quiet, I wanted something just for me, something a little sweet and a little ridiculous. I had bananas going soft on the counter, which is basically a standing condition in this house, and I remembered this banana nog I’d made once around the holidays and filed away. It felt right for a week that asked a lot and gave back in small ways. Sometimes the small treat at the end of the day is the whole point.
Banana Nog
Prep Time: 5 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Total Time: 10 min | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas, sliced
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 2 tablespoons honey or sugar, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Blend the base. Combine the sliced bananas, milk, half-and-half, honey, and vanilla extract in a blender. Blend on high for about 60 seconds until completely smooth and no banana chunks remain.
- Warm gently. Pour the blended mixture into a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Stir frequently and heat until steaming but not boiling, about 4—5 minutes. Do not let it come to a full boil or the texture will change.
- Taste and adjust. Taste for sweetness and spice. Add a touch more honey or cinnamon if desired.
- Serve. Ladle into mugs and dust the top with a pinch of fresh nutmeg. Serve immediately while warm.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 185 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Carbs: 25g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 75mg